HR-8024-119
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsored by Terri Sewell (D-AL)
What it does
This bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to explicitly include pregnant and postpartum individuals as a target population in an existing federal vaccination awareness and equity campaign. It would also add obstetric care providers to the list of healthcare settings covered by the program, and direct the campaign to specifically work toward increasing vaccination rates among pregnant and postpartum individuals — including those from racial and ethnic minority groups — and their children. The bill would increase the program's annual authorization from $15 million to $17 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Who benefits
Pregnant and postpartum individuals, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority groups who face documented disparities in vaccination rates and maternal health outcomes. Newborns and infants who may receive indirect protection through maternal vaccination (e.g., against influenza, whooping cough, and RSV). Obstetric care providers who would be formally recognized as partners in the program. Public health agencies and researchers who would receive additional federal funding. Hospitals and clinics serving high-risk maternal populations.
Who is hurt
Taxpayers would bear the cost of the $2 million annual funding increase. Other public health programs competing for discretionary appropriations could face indirect pressure if overall healthcare funding is constrained. Vaccine-hesitant individuals or those with religious or medical objections to vaccination are not directly penalized, but may face increased outreach pressure. No group faces direct regulatory burden under this bill.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that maternal vaccination rates in the U.S. remain well below recommended levels — CDC data show that fewer than 60% of pregnant people received a flu vaccine in recent years — and that racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes make targeted outreach essential. They contend that vaccines like Tdap and influenza administered during pregnancy are proven to protect both the mother and newborn, and that a modest $2 million annual funding increase is a cost-effective way to reduce preventable illness and infant mortality.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that the bill adds new federal spending without demonstrating that the existing $15 million program has been effective, and that simply increasing funding for awareness campaigns does not address the structural barriers — such as lack of insurance, provider access, or medical distrust — that drive low vaccination rates in minority communities. They contend that the $17 million authorization may go unappropriated, as Congress frequently authorizes more than it funds, making the bill largely symbolic rather than a meaningful policy intervention.
Constitutional context
Congress has broad authority to fund public health programs under the Taxing and Spending Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 1). This bill modifies an existing grant program and raises no significant constitutional questions; it does not compel individual vaccination, impose mandates on states, or regulate private conduct in a way that would implicate the Commerce Clause limits identified in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012).
Checks and balances
Congress sets the authorization level and program scope; HHS and the CDC implement the campaign through existing administrative structures; actual funding remains subject to annual appropriations by Congress.
Historical precedent
The original vaccination awareness provisions of Section 313 of the Public Health Service Act established the framework this bill amends, and Congress has previously reauthorized and expanded similar targeted public health outreach programs, including maternal and child health initiatives under Title V of the Social Security Act.